Four More Shots Please is our next web series that we are going to talk about and this is one of the most popular or most advertised web-series in recent times. Is it worth all the hype and most importantly, your time? Here is our opinion on it.
Plot: A very gullible and highly rich youngster played by Maanvi Gagroo, meets – a highly successful journalist played by Sayani Gupta, a legal advisor, played by Kriti Kulhari and a trainer played by Bani J, at a bar. Now, she wants to know what is her worth in life other than being a puppet in her parents hands and she finds out that the person whom she wants marry won’t respect her if she becomes a “Yes-man” or submissive. Hence, she starts on a journey to identify herself in the second season.
On the other hand, legal advisor goes through divorce with her husband and the custody of their child ensues a bitter battle between them. She doesn’t know how to cope up with her husband moving on. Journalist is unable to make her piece with change in the Industry and Trainer falls in love with an actress, played by Lisa Ray, who is highly self-centered and fears to come out in open as a lesbian. But once she does, the repercussions are high and where do they lead to forms her arc.
Journalist falls in love with Bar owner (Pratik Babbar) that they regularly attend while she is in lust with her gynecologist, played by Milind Soman. Her love life and professional life keep going through big changes based on these two men and her desires. Basically, the plot follows these four women who are unapologetic in their life and about the decisions they make, going forward.
Performances: Maanvi Gagroo delivers a very good performance as chubby, lovable and naive, Siddhi. But she is written to loud as the show progresses into second season, which almost is like saying that to be on stage as a stand-up comedian, you need to be loud and highly opinionated. While you have to sell the jokes, you don’t have to trashy as well. But she pulls off the role really well.
Sayani Gupta is given parts where she has to be the sexual pivot of this series. Whenever camera cuts to her more than her problems or issues, we see scenes that involve her sexual desires. Second season changes that tone but still, we don’t get the chance to meet the real character or enjoy the full potential of the actress.
Kriti Kulhari is a role that TV serial women are highly equipped to play in a certain way, tries to bring a new dimension to it. But when you seriously look into her character arc, it makes no sense at all. But the actress sells it off pretty well in some designer wear.
Bani J character as the most emotionally satisfying arc but it is also written in a way that we could care less for her character and skip ahead than watch it. The actress has a thick accent and if you can look past it, she is good performer.
Prathik Babbar, Milind Soman are like eye-candys for women in this series and they do their job well. Rest of them including Neil Bhoopalam kind of a talented actor get very limited characters, to really get behind them.
Analysis: The series tries to follow Sex and The City kind of a US based show as its major reference point. It doesn’t try to give the desi version a full desi twist. Writing seems highly borrowed from English shows and second season comes up silly scenes more than convincing ones. First season had more sex scenes that made the series highly popular but second season tries to deliver on the drama part but doesn’t rise about the clichés that we are accustomed to see on our Indian TV serials. Not everyone’s cup of Tea.
Bottom Line: Sex and The City Desi Version
Rating: 2.5/5
